The Trap
by moomolie1709
Summary: Identical twins separated at birth find themselves reunited after eleven years. Scorpius and Lysander delve into each other's lives to discover the truth about their parents, Draco/Luna.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This story is loosely based upon 'The Parent Trap' movie, but with major HP twists. I thought this would be a fun idea for a fic, I hope you like it!

**Chapter 1**

A boy of eleven lay awake in his small bed, grey eyes wide with excitement. His pale blond hair stuck messily to his forehead as he watched the sun rise from his window. This was the day he'd spent half of his life waiting for.

After years of anticipation, he was at last to begin his education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Lysander was a rather quiet boy, raised in the deep countryside by his mother and grandfather. While he loved his family more than he could describe, he always felt that something was missing. Somehow he felt that attending a prestigious school like Hogwarts would fill the void.

The house was silent, a blanket of dimness still sitting over it in the early hours of the morning. He wiggled his toes, squinting at his feet to keep from becoming bored. His mom had graduated from Hogwarts, but was always hesitant to send him there. She was neither strict nor overprotective, Lysander being a rather staid and reserved child, she always tried to encourage a free and wild spirit he never possessed. But she had repeatedly mentioned something about packs of Nargles wandering around Hogwarts campus, notorious for stealing students' belongings. As her son, Lysander knew that was code for other children bullying others.

His mother was a rather frail woman of few words, occasionally uttering a comment of blunt truth or wisdom. She was indeed peculiar, with unusually large eyes. Though Lysander had obviously inherited many of her physical attributes, he couldn't help but think they couldn't have been more different. They shared the same pale skin and blond hair, but his features were sharper. His chin and jaw more prominent, his stare more icy than whimsical. While she excelled in studies of magical plants and creatures, Lysander was far more interested in the Dark Arts. That wasn't to say it was an unhealthy obsession, he was simply more curious. Despite being instructed not to use magic without permission, he had discovered his skill with a wand. He had no doubt that he would become a skilled duelist, incantations and spells always running through his mind.

He concluded that he must have resembled his father more.

His mother was open to speaking about conspiracy in articles of the Quibbler magazine that Lysander's grandfather ran, but she was always reluctant to reveal anything regarding his father. As a young boy, knowing his father's identity had been a crucial piece in his development. He used to press her for information, claiming it was his right to know his father's identity. But as he became older, he saw the sadness in her eyes. His mother was young, much younger than his peer's parents. It was never explicitly stated, but Lysander knew that he had been conceived only months after her seventeenth birthday. Lysander assessed his mere existence had resulted from a union or fling gone wrong. But he decided he didn't care, because his mother was far more caring, loving, and nurturing than any being he knew of. Their relationship wasn't just that of mother and child, but of equals. She forever treated him as a fellow intellect, she never coddled him.

She didn't want to allow him to go so far off to school, but her father had talked her into it. Xenophilious Lovegood, though considered mad and insane by many, could be very persuasive when he wanted to.

Lysander let out a breath as he heard the creak of a door down the hall open, smiling as he listened to the nearly soundless steps approaching him. She didn't knock, turning the knob without making excessive noise. He leaned back, closing his eyes to feign slumber. He sensed her presence as she made her way to the edge of his mattress. The bed shifted with her added wait, and he felt her hand brush over his hair. She was such a morning person.

"Lysander," she whispered as she placed a light kiss on his forehead, "It's time to get up," he imagined the smile on her lips she said it.

His eyelids shot open, meeting her amused gaze.

"Good morning, mother," he responded while looking at the long, golden tresses that rested over her shoulder. It was blonde, but not as white blond as his. "I couldn't sleep,"

"It's the Wrackspurts, they're making your mind too excited," she explained, smoothing his hair affectionately.

He didn't share the same trust in the beliefs his grandfather came up with, but he still nodded. "Must be," he groaned as he sat up. He looked at her face, she looked nervous. "Don't worry, I'll be fine." He assured.

Her chest heaved slowly as she took a deep breath, "Yes, of course you will," something about the way she said it told him she wasn't just worried about the distance that Hogwarts posed.

Despite claiming that her time at Hogwarts had defined her adolescence, his mother seemed full of lament and regret whenever it came up in conversation.

"Get yourself ready, dear. I'll be downstairs, wake grandpa up on your way to the kitchen later,"

"Yes," he agreed, his eyes still surveying her. She was always such an open book, it was odd for her to be so elusive.

With that, she gave him another peck on his brow, and left his room. He listened as she made her way down the stairs of their quaint home and began work in the kitchen. Most witches and wizards used magic or house elves for chores like preparing breakfast, but his mother was insistent that nothing could compare to the love she inserted into her recipes.

Hogwarts, for eleven years he never left the isolated area he had grown up with. He hardly visited places of magic, usually confined to the small Muggle community nearby. Things were going to be different now, he was sure.

But he had no idea just how different. He was going to Hogwarts too further his academic understanding of magic. But there was something else waiting to be learned there. Something he and his mother would have never expected.

He twitched in surprise as he heard a small explosion downstairs. He shook his head, it looked like breakfast was ready.

**-p-**

A boy's grey eyes narrowed at the woman pulling at his collar. She smoothed the expensive fabric his jacket, making sure he appeared perfect and proper. He bore holes in the mirror that held his reflection.

"Oh, what a handsome young man you are. You look just like your father did at this age," Narcissa placed an exaggerated kiss on his cheek, pinching it after she was done. The second she pulled away and turned her back, he used the back of his hand to wipe off the red lipstick on his face.

He'd heard the same thing his entire life, how he was his father's spitting image. Physically, yes, they were identical, that was indisputable. He even carried himself like his father, with a cold demeanor and menacing glare.

"Where is father?" he asked his grandmother. His dad was absent during their morning meal.

"He had some business to take care of,"

Ah, business. His father loved him, showered him with whatever money could afford. He was the future heir to one of the wizarding world's greatest fortune, and his father was out augmenting their prosperity.

"Don't fret, Scorpius. He sends his love and hopes you have a wonderful trip to Hogwarts,"

His eyebrows rose and met together, "Hogwarts? What happened to Durmstang?" He was sure his father had mentioned that he would be attending the school in Eastern Europe.

"Durmstang? Oh heavens, no. It's too far away, I didn't let your father attend that austere school, and I won't let you either,"

He was half listening to her speak. He'd been excited to go to school, partly because it meant getting away from the cold and lonely mansion he called home. He was short of nothing, his grandmother doted on his every whim and supplied him with every toy and possession he could dream of.

"Your father might not be sending you off on Hogwarts Express, but I think you'll be delighted to know that your mother and I will be escorting you—"

"That vile woman is not my mother," he snapped, his tone hinted with poison. "My mother is dead,"

This was true. He might have had everything material in the world, but a stable set of parents he did not. His father could be warm and supportive at times, but he was hardly ever present. Some would say that would be the benefit of a maternal figure to comfort him, but he didn't have one. His father had explained tersely that his mother had fallen ill following his birth and passed away shortly afterwards.

"You will show some more respect for Ms. Greengrass, she'll be married to your father soon,"

"Yes, grandmother," he obeyed flatly through clenched teeth.

"Prepare yourself and gather your things, the elves will take everything down. We'll be leaving soon," Not wanting to provoke her the temper her son had passed down to his offspring, she patted the boy on the head and exited the room. The heels of her shoes clicked with every step she took.

Scorpius was relieved to discover his father had never held him responsible for her death. But that however didn't lessen his culpable sentiments. He once heard the term, 'First love is the deepest', and even as a young child had guessed that this was the truth. His father was an enigma, no one could openly see past his unemotional eyes.

But Scorpius was far more analytical than the rest of the Malfoy clan. He found himself able to read an individual's motivations and sentiments with ease, a natural talent. It wasn't conventionally deemed a valuable attribute, but he was proud of it. He could see how much his father had loved his late mother. He never spoke of her, but whenever they passed any young woman with blonde hair, Scorpius could see the agony and anguish he had exuded. It was sad really, a man built like a statue brought into a realm of pain by something that seemed so far away. No one dared mention his biological mother, not his grandparents, not the elves, not the servants. It was clear that his father didn't want to be reminded of the woman he lost.

Even as his father had proposed to another woman over the last month, it didn't seem real. Astoria was a fake woman, the biggest sycophant he had ever met. Her smiles were fabricated, her laughs were forced, her love for his father only motivated by their vast wealth. Something inside Scorpius thought that his father knew this, but decided to pursue the engagement anyways. He regarded his son's distaste for the woman to be that of a young boy with his soon to be stepmother.

Scorpius looked at his scowl in the vanity. As soon as he was sure that Narcissa was long gone, he closed the door and locked it with his wand. He made his way over to the grand wooden desk that sat along the far wall. He glanced over his shoulder with paranoia before he carefully opened one of the bottom drawers. A pile of papers sat in the middle, organized and neat. He flicked his wrist, wand in hand and whispered a reveal spell under his breath. After a small pop, he reached down to retrieve his prize.

It was a photograph.

He wasn't sure he was supposed to have it, he had come across it by pure accident. But he couldn't help but take and hide it for himself. Nearly a year had gone by since the time that he was messing around in his father's study. Being the mischievous and restless child he was, he couldn't help but explore the contents of the room while he waited for his father to arrive. He'd just acquired his first wand, a fine instrument carved of dragon bone, and he began to play with it. The incantation must have been gibberish, but as he pointed the stick to one of the shelves, a book fell to the ground.

Knowing he would be scolded if he had made a mess, he grudgingly made his way over to pick it up. He was careless enough to hold the book by its spine, allowing a single slip of parchment to fall out. Scorpius dropped his beautiful wand on the ground as he saw the image moving on the paper.

The photo was old and worn, but its preserved condition told that it had been handled with great care. He bent down to pick it up, his eyes wide with shock. He almost couldn't recognize his own father. The picture had been taken over a decade ago, but his father hadn't aged too greatly.

It was the expression he wore. Who knew the infamous Draco Malfoy could look so happy?

The moment had been captured with a camera, a young man dressed in a pressed black suit with his arm around the waist of a young woman. They were both staring at each other when his father dipped his head to give the woman a lingering kiss. She was beautiful and smiling, small and petite in comparison to his father's tall and lean stature. She had blond hair and fair skin, just like he did.

That woman was his mother, he was sure of it.

Scorpius knew his father didn't love Astoria Greengrass, because his father never looked at her the way he had the woman from the photograph. Scorpius was sure that his father had known about the stolen picture. Gifted with acute perceptiveness, it was no difficult task to see the look of knowledge on his father's face. But his father said nothing, probably letting his son keep it for guilt of never elaborating on his true mother.

The picture was Scorpius' prized possession, it was the last and only thing he personally packed before going away to study. He glanced down at the picture again, watching as his mother, his real mother, laughed in the arms of his father. He closed his eyes, thinking for the millionth time what it would be like had his mother still been alive. He quickly forced his conscious out of its reverie, reentering reality when a soft knock sounded on the door. A house elf had arrived to retrieve his luggage.

Off to Hogwarts, he sighed.

Maybe something interesting would be worth his attention there.

**End Chapter 1**

A/N: So...what did you think? I thought it would be nice to see how contrasting identical twins' personalities would be when they were raised in such different environments. That, in combination with the Draco/Luna history and relationship is what is to come. Interested, not interested? Leave me a review if you want me to continue, thanks for reading!**  
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	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Well Scorpius, don't you look dashing today?" A lean yet simultaneously voluptuous woman folded over to pat the boy on the head. "I think you'll be the handsomest of all the boys in Hogwarts," she placed a hand on his shoulder.

He hated her, he really did. He despised her down to the bone, down to every perfect black hair on her head. She was vain, obsequious, and most definitely not his mother. He didn't need her fabricated affection to satisfy any of his childish and juvenile dreams of comfort.

"Don't touch me," he snapped, earning a glare from his grandmother. He ignored it and pushed past the two older women, roughly shrugging Astoria's hand off of him. He turned and almost gave a piteous glance at the small house elf that was pushing his luggage cart. Narcissa had insisted he bring the entirety of Malfoy Manor with him to Hogwarts. They had just arrived before the Hogwart's Express, and Scorpius had already been subjected to his family's antics.

He scoffed as he watched Narcissa attempting to apologize to Astoria for his behavior. His grandmother couldn stand the woman's personality no more than he could, but tolerated her for reasons of reputation. Apparently the Malfoys and Greengrass's were both long standing houses in pureblood society. It was only natural and proper for a union to be arranged.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets, his fingers delicately rubbing over the film like surface of the photograph he had carefully inserted before leaving. He didn't trust it with a servant, he treasured it far too much. He had to be careful not to let his grandmother or Astoria see it, they would have gone ballistic. He watched longingly as other students arrived around the train, their families in tow.

It didn't seem fair. He might have been backed with wealth beyond belief, but he didn't have the support of either parent. His father had left without so much as a goodbye, sending his insufferable fiancé and mother to do it for him. He hadn't paid enough attention to even know that it wasn't Dumstang he would be attending this year, but Hogwarts. It was almost as if he didn't care.

He absently glared at an obvious mudblood with her muggle parents, it should have been embarrassing. The girl's mother gave her a kiss on the cheek, hugging her until there was no air in her lungs left to breathe. Those with filth ridden heritage like that didn't deserve to be happier than him.

He didn't need to take the photo out of his pocket to see what was happening in the picture. He had memorized every part of it. Sometimes he wondered what it would be like if she was still alive. But that would never happen, the deceased never came back from the dead.

He turned his head away from the disgustingly heart wrenching scene before him back to Astoria. She was shrieking at the conductor about something. He groaned as he went over to see what was wrong.

"What do you mean, his name isn't on the list? He's been registered!"

"I'm sorry, Ma'am " the poor wizard stuttered, obviously intimidated by the lady's presence, "But there isn't a Scorpius Malfoy attending Hogwarts this year,"

Scorpius bit the inside of his cheek to keep from saying something he would regret. What an imbecile of a woman, she didn't even know his legal birth name.

He made his way to the young man with the clipboard, "She doesn't know what she's saying. Look another name up,"

"Which name?" he looked up to meet Astoria's taken back expression.

He never really questioned it, but he guessed his father decided he didn't like the name that was decided after he was born. People referred to him as Scorpius, but on paper, he had a different name.

"Lorcan Malfoy."

**-p-**

"You're being reckless, Luna. Think about what you're doing, think about what you're risking," the man's green eyes flashed with concern as he looked at his dear friend. Over the past years, they had done whatever in their power to protect her. Despite being unquestionably loyal to the Ministry and its new Minister, he'd broken the sacred oath of an auror to manipulate records and documents regarding her whereabouts. If he hadn't, the snake of a man would surely have discovered her.

"You told him?" the blonde woman asked with disbelief. She wasn't speaking to him, but his wife. The trio stood in a corner of King's Cross, a redheaded woman guiltily looking at the ground to keep away from her friend's incredulous glare. She knew how Harry would react to the news of Luna allowing her son to attend Hogwarts would send him off in an overprotective rampage, but it was necessary.

"Luna," Harry said again, softening his gaze as he turned to see his godson with Lysander standing together with their luggage carts and owl cages across the station, "It's not safe. It's not even appropriate for you to be out like this," he gestured to Luna's unconcealed appearance, no hood to cover her face, no cloak to hide her distinctive hair, "Someone could very well recognize you. And Lysander, he's looking more and more like his father. It's only a matter of time before he's discovered and his identity is uncovered."

Luna smiled slightly, "He does look like him, doesn't he?" she asked dreamily to no one in particular.

"The resemblance is uncanny," a new voice entered the conversation, it was Hermione. Her hair had been twisted in a bun behind her head, she was followed by her boyfriend. It would appear that Ginny's news had reached all of their ears.

"It would be safer for him at your home, where we could all keep an eye on him." Harry tried to reason again. "Besides, his parents are both alumni of this school. What if there are pictures or—"

"It's been eleven years," she stated quietly, "He hasn't found us yet, and he won't because he's stopped looking,"

"You can't be sure of that. Persistent git that Malfoy," Ron spat with contempt, Luna winced from the harshness of his tone. "I mean," he rubbed the back of his neck after seeing her reaction, "He hasn't found you two because of how careful we've been. He might just be waiting for the right time,"

Ginny glared at her older brother, placing an arm around Luna's shoulders.

"Lysander insisted, there was nothing I could do. He wants to go to Hogwarts. Besides, without Harry's help I wouldn't have been able to afford anything, let alone tuition. Draco won't be expecting his son to go to an institution as expensive as this, and Lysander's brother will be attending Durmstang. It would take a miracle for him to send his own son to a school alongside muggle borns," Luna took a deep breath.

The two couples looked at her, trying to understand the logic against their paranoia. There was a time when Luna had come running to them for help, a bag over one shoulder and a crying baby over the other. She was so scared at that time, desperate for any aid. But then again, that was before, the war was over now. In theory, things were supposed to be different. But she had been so broken then, they all feared an eminent reprise.

All eyes flew to Harry for a decision, whatever the circumstances of situation, they learned to respect and trust his jurisdiction. His mouth opened, but before any words came out he was interrupted.

"Harry!" It was Teddy, his tussled brown hair blowing in the wind as he rushed over to the adults. Lysander was on his heels, both of them with animated grins on their faces. "You didn't tell me Lysander was coming to Hogwarts!"

Harry's vision flicked from the young boy, to Lysander, then to Luna. After letting out a long sigh, the edges of his lips tugged upwards. "I'm sorry, it must have slipped my mind."

"What house were you in Harry?" Lysander approached the man who his mother had referred to as his uncle. "Lupin here thinks he's going to be some kind of Hufflepuff."

"Well of course, my mother was a Hufflepuff. And I do take after her more than my dad," Teddy retorted cheekily with his nose in the air. His hair suddenly morphed and grew from ordinary brown to bright green.

"Stop that," Harry admonished the green haired child, "What if a muggle sees you?" he looked past his shoulders to make sure that none had witnessed the the magic that just been practiced.

"Mother?" Lysander approached Luna. She couldn't remember when he had grown so tall, the top of his head already climbed to her bottom lip. "What house were you in?"

Tinkling bells rang when she laughed lightly, "Ravenclaw, for wit beyond measure,"

"I suppose I'll be a Ravenclaw then," he shrugged his shoulders, but Teddy whispered something in his ear a little too loudly.

"But you said before that you were more like your father. Shouldn't you be in the house he was in?"

Time seemed to stop as a thick tension settled over the group. Luna stiffened while Lysander scowled at his friend for blatantly revealing a piece of information he wished to keep secret. But from the expression on the blond haired boy, it was clear that he still agreed with his friend's comment. He looked over at his mom, debating whether or not to inquire further.

"Come on, now," Hermione interrupted. "It's nearly twelve, you two are going to miss the train," she ushered the boys towards the junction between platforms nine and ten. Luna shot her a gratuitous glance as she turned her shoulder, Hermione nodded in acknowledgement.

"Thank you, Harry." Luna said as the rest followed the children.

He shook his head, "Thank me when Lysander graduates, we don't know what's going to happen up until then."

That might have been true, but Luna was still optimistic. Maybe unrealistically so.

**-p-**

"Make sure to establish yourself among your peers, Malfoys don't allow themselves to be looked down upon,"

"You'll be a Slytherin and nothing else. For generations this family has been sorted into that house…"

"I'll be sending you frequent packages, so if there is anything you need make a list. I'll have a house elf fetch whatever you need,"

"Make sure you place top of your class. Your father was highly intelligent, and I'm sure you will be too,"

"Tuck your shirt in, you look unruly,"

He just wanted it to be over with, he didn't bother to listen to half the orders and expectations that were being barked at him. He let out a sigh as he tapped his foot. This was becoming ridiculous, he just wanted to board the train and leave already. He didn't understand why they had to arrive so early.

"I hope you'll owl every once in a while, be considerate of those who want to know more about—"

"Okay," he agreed at last, hoping that would calm the storm that was brewing in his grandmother's head. "Alright, I'll make sure of all of it,"

"Good boy," she smiled, leaning over and giving him a slight hug. Despite being an overbearing family member, Scorpius had grown rather fond of his grandma. He guessed she must have been lonely with Grandfather in Azkaban and father working all the time, it was no wonder she clung to him as much as she could. "I love you, I hope you have a good year,"

"Love you too,"

He almost smiled, but when Astoria came over and pulled him into an airtight embrace any semblance of happiness was wiped clean. It felt awkward and uncomfortable, both of them couldn't wait to part ways. He cringed as his nose was hit with the overwhelming perfume she wore, the fragrances was far too strong. "I'll see you, I love you," it sounded so unnatural, rehearsed and unemotional.

He didn't bother reciprocating it as he turned to Narcissa again. "Goodbye, Grandmother," he turned his back without a second glance and boarded the train.

**-p-**

"Be careful of those Nargles," Stay away from bullies, "Watch out for Wrackspurts as well," Don't become distracted by trivial matters, "And if you spot a Crumple Horned Snorkback, make sure to document the sighting," If you make a new friends, make sure to write to me about it.

Lysander smirked at everyone else's expression as Luna had given her small speech. He was the only who could translate his mother's sentences with ease. She now had a cloak on by the insistence of his 'uncles' and 'aunts'. But her clear blue eyes were still bright as ever.

"I will,"

He reached out to hug her, burying his head down on her shoulder. He realized she was shaking, and tried to hold her tighter. He ignored the snickers Lupin was forced to stifle by his godfather. Most boys his age would be embarrassed to be so close to his mother but he wasn't. He'd spent nearly every waking moment by her side. He tried not to acknowledge the tears he knew were running down her face. He was excited to go to Hogwarts, but didn't want to think of the devastation his mother would feel while he was away. "I'll miss you," his words were muffled by her shirt.

He was her star, her baby. Luna couldn't imagine what life what be like without him. For so long, he'd been what she lived for. It would be a difficult adjustment, but he was growing up. Growing up, and looking more and more like his father every day. "I'll miss you too,"

The rest of them made their rounds, every adult taking the time to hug both of the two boys. Besides Luna, the only other one to cry had been Ron. He insisted it was only something in his eye as he said goodbye.

The train began its engine, the Hogwarts Express was about to depart.

Without so much as a warning, Teddy took Lysander by the wrist and pulled him on board.

"Bye!" Teddy yelled.

"Goodbye," was all Lysander could get out before disappearing into the compartment.

**-p-**

Scorpius breathed steadily, again fingering the photograph in his pocket. His cart was filled with other family acquaintances, spawn of those that his grandmother had deemed appropriate. The only one he felt comfortable was Cornelius Zabini, the younger brother of his father's long time friend.

Zabini was chatting up some pretty girl when he felt the engine of the train boom, vibrations humming beneath his feet. He looked out the window with glazed eyes, finding himself prematurely bored. He rested his chin atop his palm, staring beyond the window without concentration. That was when he saw her.

The woman, the same woman from the photograph in his pocket. A black hood suffocated her long waves of flaxen hair, but stray locks of gold strayed loose. Those eyes were unmistakeable, so pale and blue, unlike any he had seen before. She looked so pale it was as if she had walked straight from the dead. Her gaze showed her looking for someone on the train, but a man took her shoulders and guided her towards the exit.

Scorpius shot up instinctively, pressing his hands and nose up against the clear glass. This wasn't right, this wasn't possible. Was he hallucinating?

Before he could figure it out, the train began to move. The fleeting image burned in his head, and he couldn't even confirm it.

"What's wrong, Malfoy?" Cornelius asked with his eyebrows raised. Scorpius was usually pretty stoic, it was rare to see the boy so worked up over something.

"It's nothing,"

**End Chapter 2**

A/N: How did you like it? This would take place some years before the epilogue of DH. More should be unveiled in coming chapters about Draco and Luna. Please leave a review if you want me to continue, thanks for reading!

For those who don't remember, Lorcan is one of the original twins that JKR named. Lorcan and Lysander.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Hey Lupin,"

Lysander looked at his friend from across the small cart near they had claimed towards the back of the train. They were the only ones sitting in the compartment. A few hours had passed since they departed from the platform, and a comfortable silence had set over them until Lysander broke it.

"Does Harry ever talk about your parents?"

Teddy's brown eyes flicked up. His parents had always been a sensitive topic, he usually avoided speaking about them at all costs. But with Lysander, it was different. There was no pity or sympathy, only curiosity. Part of the reason why the two boys had clicked together so easily after their first encounter was the shared understanding of what having an absent parent was like. If anything, Teddy understood the void better. He'd lost not one, but both of his parents only months after his birth. They were war heroes, passing away in the line of duty.

"Only when I ask him to, otherwise he likes to steer clear of that conversation," he responded truthfully as he paused thoughtfully, "Ginny told me it's because he feels responsible for their deaths. I usually ask my grandmother," Both boys shuddered eerily as they recalled the image of Andromeda Tonks. She was rather strict in her discipline.

Lupin then realized why his friend was wondering.

"I'm sorry, by the way," he shifted a bit in his seat after remembering the incident that played out earlier that day, "I didn't mean to mention your father in front of your mom at the station. It sort of just slipped out,"

Lysander folded his arms as he rolled his eyes, "Don't be, it was my fault for telling you in the first place. You're about the worst secret keeper that lived," He'd grown accustomed to Teddy's big mouth, it just came with the territory of their friendship.

"So I'm forgiven?"

Lysander sighed with emphasis, "Forgiven," he dismissed. If his mother had taught him anything, it was that there was no point in dwelling on what has already passed.

Teddy smiled sheepishly, depositing his arms above his head to create a cushion, "But honest, just between you and me. Which house do you want in on?"

The blond boy didn't hesitate, "Ravenclaw,"

He nearly scoffed in response, "Come on, we both know you don't want to be some bookworm. Tell me what house you want so I don't get some huge surprise when we get sorted,"

Lysander narrowed his eyes.

Teddy wordlessly looked on at him, swallowing hard. He didn't know why, but sometimes Lysander's glare was frightening, even if they were good mates.

"What do you mean?"

"Harry told me a secret before we arrived at King's Cross," a Cheshire grin pulled along his face as he leaned forward to whisper, he cupped his mouth with on hand before whispering, "Apparently the Sorting Hat takes your choice into account. Says it happened with him,"

That stumped Lysander. While the majority of things Lupin blurted was often rubbish, today had been entirely different. Quite on the contrary, he was spot on with his accusations. Lysander didn't truly want to be in Ravenclaw, he respected those with the intelligence for it, but it just wasn't him.

"Well, which house do _you_ want?" Lysander countered, not knowing how to respond.

"I asked first," Teddy sang playfully, but then retracted as another glare was sent his way. He put his hands out in front defensively. "Okay, okay. Where's your sense of humor today?" His disposition turned as he answered seriously, "Gryffindor,"

"Gryffindor?" Lysander repeated, "Why?" Though it did make sense. Reckless as Lupin was, he was the bravest person he knew.

"My dad," he clarified before shrugging his shoulders, "I'm so similar to my mom, it just feels wrong if I don't have any of him in me too,"

Something tugged on Lysander's heartstrings. While Teddy had lost both his parents, it seemed like everyone was willing to surrender information on their respective pasts. For one reason or another, mentioning his dad was taboo, no one was jumping to elaborate on his father's identity.

Lysander paused for a moment. While the entire lot of his mother's acquaintances seemed to be made up of Gryffindors, Luna herself wasn't in the same house. So while Lysander considered his friendship with Teddy, he knew he wouldn't have to end up in the same house to preserve their closeness. Despite acknowledging the importance of courage, Lysander didn't find it his strongest attributes.

Loyalty and patience didn't sound bad either. But Hufflepuff didn't scream an appropriate match.

But then that ruled out but only one other option. Ron once threatened to disown both boys if they entered this particular house, apparently it was teeming with immoral sinners that would come to devour their souls in the night while they slept. Joking as he might have been, sensible Hermione and realistic Harry never seemed to discourage the badmouthing.

There was always an air of spite whenever that house was brought up in conversation.

But if Lysander were to choose without the influence of his guardians, he knew exactly where he wanted to be placed. For quite some time now. After all, cunning ambition was synonymous with most of his beliefs.

"So, Lovegood," Teddy interrupted his thoughts, "What's it going to be?"

When he hesitated to answer, it was like Teddy read his mind. He shook his head in disbelief, his jaw dropping. "You're not serious," he coughed out as his posture tensed.

Lysander only nodded curtly in response. A pregnant pause followed before Lupin spoke up again.

"Ron's going to kill you,"

**-p-**

Draco Malfoy was the perfect catch, a fairytale prince.

He was wealthy, intelligent, and so handsome it was ungodly. Astoria, like countless other women, had fallen head over heels for the brooding young man with cryptic grey eyes and an enigmatic grimace gracing his statuesque features.

She'd been groomed for an opportunity like this, to meet, marry, and start a family with someone as rich and beautiful as him. He was perfect, quiet and polite, always paying for her meals, and affording her the grandest of her shopping sprees. It didn't matter to her how emotionally detached he was with her.

She assumed he was somewhat romantically inclined to court her, and would eventually grow to love her, but she'd been wrong. It didn't take very long to discover the truth.

Draco was a man of many secrets, he wasn't one to open up with his past. She could tell he was hiding something, and when he introduced his equally as beautiful son to her, she was surprised. But truth be told she didn't care, Scorpius seemed to harbor as much disdain for her as she did for him. She would tolerate the little brat if it meant she could acquire Draco. If only that were the only secret the Malfoys had been hiding from the rest of society.

Astoria had been extremely popular in her school days, she was too preoccupied with vanity and ignorance to remember the War. She knew many established families, her own included, backed the then Dark Lord and his Pureblood supremacy. But memories of her time at Hogwarts remained only about giggling through the courtyard, trailing behind older boys and gossiping with her friends. She didn't recall much else.

She sometimes wished she paid more attention.

She wished she'd seen Draco with _her_, that loon of a girl with ridiculously pale blue eyes and colorful attire. She wished she'd seen the way a man was supposed to look at the woman he loved.

Scorpius was growing older and becoming harder to conceal from public eye. Despite having its reputation marred by references to Lord Voldemort, the Malfoy name remained elite. After all, it was one of the Wizarding World's most prominent benefactors. Actions might have spoken louder than words, but money would always be heard the loudest. For the sake of keeping up appearances, Narcissa had coaxed her only son into marriage. It was beyond inappropriate for a child to be conceived out of wedlock in such a conservative setting, but even more scandalous for that child to grow up without a maternal figure. Astoria had just been another name on the long list of potential candidates, she was just a way for him to keep him mother's nagging at bay.

She was a diplomatic and political decision, and nothing more. He wouldn't talk to her unless it was unavoidable, only coming in contact with her when it was absolutely necessary. But she'd worked her entire life to marry someone of status like him, she would never leave him. To a girl who'd been taught money and appearances were everything, he was still an objective goal.

There was mutual understanding between them, an unsaid agreement. She loved him for his massive fortune, and he was using her to appease his mother. This was a loveless match, but both parties were more than willing to sign.

Draco was protective of his son, but never allowed it to show. He was controlling, making it necessary to know every detail of every second in Scorpius's life. It was a miracle he hadn't realized that Narcissa had withdrawn his registration to Durmstang and replaced it with one for Hogwarts.

Hell was going to be paid when he found out. That moment was now.

Narcissa had conveniently made a trip to the French countryside after dropping her grandson off on the train, leaving Astoria the only one to answer to his wrath. She was called to his study, he sat there waiting for her behind his intimidatingly large oak desk, his hands folded on its surface as he leaned forward in his chair. He had asked her to move into Malfoy Manor the previous week, she was sure he would retract his offer now.

"What's the meaning of this?" His tone was icy, nonexistent emotion ran dry from his voice. He threw a folded piece of parchment down, it slapped onto the table. His eyes narrowed in a passively hostile way. He appeared the way he always did, like he'd been carefully carved from cold marble.

It was only a matter of time before they were to be legally bound as husband and wife, but his glare would still send chills prickling down her spine.

"I received an owl this afternoon informing me that Scorpius will have made it safely onto the Hogwarts campus in the coming hour," he paused, "Would you care to explain to me how my specific instructions to have my son attend another school were explicitly defied?" he was calm and composed, but every word felt like a sharp stab to the chest.

She'd only just entered the room, and he wasted no time with pleasantries. On the outside he was a gentleman with impeccable manners. But whenever Scorpius was involved, politeness was thrown out of the window. He was livid to the bone right now, that much she knew for sure.

She might have been known to be a testy, sharp tongued girl with a temper. But in the presence of someone as dangerous as him, her boil simmered to a pathetic bubble. "Your mother, she wanted—"

"My mother's failure to understand what business is her own is not an excuse," he interrupted. He never wanted to expose Scorpius to that castle. That school held nothing but haunting memories for him, he had put it behind him. Hogwarts was the last place he wanted his son to end up, and he could do nothing about it. The campus was conjured like a fortress, nothing got in or out after the front gates had closed after the semester began.

It was too late now to pull him out.

She bit her lip as she held back a response about how it had been Narcissa's doing all along. She wanted to scream about how that vile old woman had set her up to take the fall. Future daughter-in-law or not, this family was as cutthroat as it got. She looked at the man before her. Everyone feared him, even his own mother.

"You were the one I assigned with the task of buying supplies and preparing him for his schooling," he rose to his feet with his palms flat on the table. He was frightening when sitting down, but absolutely menacing when he stood at full height. "You're going to marry his father, don't you think you should take a bit more responsibility for what happens with Scorpius?"

Her flawless visage scrunched into a twisted expression, her pointed nose crinkling as she grimaced. It was no secret that Scorpius loathed her, nor was it a secret that she reciprocated the same sentiments. She blamed the boy for standing in the way of Draco loving her. A blind man could see the resemblance between father and son, and when said son decided he hated Astoria, it was only natural for Draco's opinion to follow in suit.

"Don't be angry, darling," she felt a sudden surge of courage as unprecedented anger flowed freely through her veins. No matter how he treated her, she would never leave him. She approached him with swaying steps, her hips swinging from side to side as she got closer. He remained stoic, standing rigidly as she put her hands on his chest. The girlish misconceptions of blissful family and marriage she acquired in her youth had been ripped to pieces when she met Draco. She would never bear any children of her own, she was trapped under circumstances of raising a son that detested her. "Scorpius will be closer to home like this. Besides, you'll always have me by your side,"

She felt him tense, watching as his pronounced jaw clenched. "Now, _darling_," he mocked her tone of overflowing affection, "What was our agreement of about touching me?" in a single fluid motion he brushed her hands off of him.

She was beautiful, entitled, and born of good upbringing. She was a ruthless, selfish, hollow shell of a woman. He was the handsome, filthy rich, and pure of blood. He was a cold hearted, disconcertingly unemotional statue of a man.

They must have been a match made in heaven.

She almost laughed aloud at that thought, because she knew she was the opposite of what he wanted. He never had any intention of accepting Astoria as anything but a wife in name.

She was tall, shapely and striking in appearance, with pin straight raven tresses adorning her slim shoulders. She was vain, superficial, harsh. She held stark contrast with the one he truly desired, maybe that was why she was so appealing a choice for a partner.

For what Draco imagined once he closed his eyes, would forever and always be, the petite, slight and soft featured girl with a halo of lush golden waves falling down her back. He longed for the free spirited, eccentric, wide eyed woman he'd fallen hard for nearly a decade ago.

**-p-**

The color had drained from the poor boy's face, his healthy complexion had deteriorated into a dull white. A burning migraine poured over the frontal lobe of his skull, and the bumpiness of the train from before had done him no good. Now with the addition of scrambling hoards of students rushing into the campus had only worsened his condition.

"You all right?" someone asked, but Scorpius couldn't see who from the rush of the crowd. The voice sounded like it belonged to Zabini.

He must have been going mad. After departing from Platform 9 ¾ he had tried not to think of what he saw, but his mind wouldn't let go. That woman, she didn't just resemble the girl from the picture, it was almost as if she was her.

Despite growing up in a world of magic, Scorpius was not keen to trust supernatural phenomena to explain the unknown. He'd been wracking his brain to understand what he saw at the station, he needed to provide a logical explanation for what he saw. At first he thought his eyes were playing a trick on him, that he had been so depressed with his father's absence, that he conjured up the image of his dead mother.

But he knew that wasn't right, either. It was too raw, too real.

"I'm fine, Cornelius." he almost growled as he elbowed the figure that had placed a hand on him. "You go first, I'll catch up later," he tried to justify as he swatted his friend's concern away. He refused to display weakness or vulnerability, both were traits greatly discouraged by Malfoy integrity.

"Okay mate, whatever you say," he heard Zabini mutter. "I'll make sure your luggage is all in order, we'll meet over by the boats, yeah?"

Some grungy, half-breed giant had hollered at all the first years to remember they were going to cross the Lake to the castle. Scorpius simply nodded in response, he didn't feel like talking. He was still too consumed with the woman from the photograph. His fingers never left the picture in his pocket, though he couldn't bring himself to take it out and properly examine the image again.

Scorpius just stood still in place, unmoving as others pushed past him to move forward. He felt overwhelmed with dizziness, a bit faint. He didn't have an appetite earlier that day, but now he was regretting his decision to skip lunch. It didn't take long for him to lose his companions in the sea of his peers, but he just lowered his head in frustration.

He wasn't the type to leave a puzzle unsolved, he liked having all the answers out in front of him. He was always thirsty for more knowledge; his wit was sharper than most full fledged adults. So it shouldn't have been a surprise that he was driving himself mad in his quest for a proper explanation of that vision.

When he felt a friendly hand clamp down on his shoulder, it ceased his focused concentration. The pounding ache in his head hardened as he grew more irritated. He swung around, "I told you I'd meet you later, Zabini," he snapped harshly.

He hadn't noticed when the crowd had emptied, leaving only the presence of two people. As he turned, he realized the one behind him wasn't the same lanky, dark skinned person he was expecting. Instead, stood a taller, tanned boy with distinctively green colored hair.

"Merlin, what's up with you today?" the stranger inquired with his eyebrows up in surprise. "I've been looking everywhere for you,"

What?

"First you spout that nonsense about wanting to be sorted into Slytherin, and then you fall behind the pack like this. Something's off about you,"

Scorpius' grey eyes darkened. This kid was asking for trouble, addressing someone like him in a such a familiar manner, and then insulting the most prestigious of houses that Hogwarts had to offer. He opened his mouth to retort, but another wave of pain to his skull stopped him. His hand shot up to hold his temple.

"Whoa," the other boy stepped forward, trying to steady him. "You okay, Lovegood?"

_Lovegood?_

Scorpius would have lashed out at the mistaken case of identity, but he never received the chance to do so. Before he could get as much of a syllable past his lips, he felt his eyes roll to the back of his head.

He passed out.

**-p-**

Lysander crossed his arms impatiently as he scanned through the swarm of fellow first years. He stood by the docks, they were boarding the last boats onto the lake.

"Come along now," a deep, rough voice called, "Time to get a move on,"

The platinum haired boy swiveled around to meet the a large, burly man with an overgrown, black beard.

Lysander puffed his chest out, trying to resist as the older man lightly pushed him into the nearest boat. The small vessel sloshed in the water, rocking back and forth as he reluctantly took a seat. He breathed in the cold air that surrounded him as he looked on in the direction he had come from, the small flickering lanterns illuminating what little they could through the blackness of night.

Just where in the hell had Teddy run off to?

**End Chapter 3**

A/N: Sorry again for the delay with this chapter. I'll be trying to post as often as I can! What are your thoughts on Draco? What do you think is going to happen between the twins when they meet? Please leave a review if you want me to continue. **  
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